Thanks, Beatrice, for the update! I love you Canadians! 🙂 I wish our American allergy sufferers would demand these products in our marketplace.

Hi there,

I wasn’t sure how to publish something on your website, so I thought I’d contact you directly.

I’m not sure if you or your members are aware of the new Quaker Chewy “Peanut Free’ granola bars that are now available in Canada. Quaker has come out with 6 flavors of bars that are made in a peanut free facility. They have been available in Canada since May 2006. I’m not sure if they are available in the US. We purchase them here in our local Wal Mart stores and other grocery chains.

Also, last month there was another new peanut/nut free candy bar launched as well—Mars Bar has launched a new peanut/nut free bar. Again, not sure if these products are only available in Canada, but they are great.

I hope this helps…

Best Regards

Beatrice

Here’s a link I found to a British article referring to the bars. I could not get into Quaker’s Canadian website. I suspect they have blocked US ip addresses (foul!)

Here is a directory of all of Mars Canada’s brands. I didn’t see a nut-free brand on the list, but I’m a little clueless. Let me know if you know more about these!

Mars sans arachides Bravosaid,

Timsaid,

Thats just stupid. “Demand”? Being allergic doesn’t give you extra rights. We’re actually starting a petition banning Mars and other bars until they bring back the original. If they want, they can release two different types, but abolishing peanuts just to please a minority is just absurd.

Kylasaid,

Tim, What right do you have to “demand” bringing back the original? Peanut free products do not just benefit the minority who have life threatening allergies, they also benefit families and friends around the allergic individuals as well. They also benefit countless schools in Canada who have peanut free policies to keep the children alive and safe. This affects far more people than you realize. And guess what, allergic children do have the right to a safe educational environment, which can include “extra” accomodations.

Go and enjoy your Snickers bar or other bar that is full of nuts. Let the minority enjoy having a couple choices.

Canada is far ahead of its US neighbor on this one. At AllergyKids, we are working with global corporations to increase awareness of children with food alleriges. I will highlight Mars and their incredible efforts as I continue on our mission to create universal awareness and to fund the cure. Thanks for the inspiration.

Mikesaid,

Mars bars never had peanuts in them, they just had a “may contain traces of peanuts” warning because they were made in a factory with other bars containing peanuts. This whole argument is silly because the recipe hasn’t changed. Only the chance of cross-contamination has been eliminated.

To Timsaid,

It’s not freaking absurb to have peanut free chocolate bars. I’ve grown up not being able to eat much as a youngling and it’s great that it is peanut free. You don’t understand what it’s like to have an allergy. It is DEADLY. Just eating a candy bar with peanuts and leaving the wrapper on the ground is dangerous to some people.

Tracysaid,

cherylsaid,

thank you for your latest marketing it helps people take the moms of peanut free homes serious.i was at the salon when i saw the add. istead of pulling out the add i went and bought more mags. to put in places where others could read your awsome halloween promo!

If possible could somebody give me an e-mail address for the producer of Mars Bars in Canada as we do not have any access here in Ireland to peanut free chocolate and my son has a nut allergy which limits what he can and cannot eat?

Any help would be greatly appreciated, but its the e-mail address that I really need in order to order the product.

Mikesaid,

Have you ever eaten something by accident because it was NOT marked as having nuts or nut products in it?

That happens–I’ve had it happen to me, even in something as simple as a piece of crumb cake. I went to a certain coffee chain’s shop across the street from my office one night and got a piece of crumb cake to go along with the latte I wanted. I’d had their crumb cake before, without incident. This time, the crumb cake was an apple crumb cake. No big deal, right? Well, that apple crumb cake had almonds or something in it, and there was NO sign listing even the possibility of nuts in the product (e.g. Apple/Almond Crumb Cake).

I went on to work and took one bite and knew something was wrong. My face and my throat swelled up, I broke out in hives and thought I was going to pass out. Things did not get bad enough that I needed to go to the hospital, but I should have.

You can say what you want about people with allergies having “extra” rights, how about the right to not die if you eat something by accident? How about the right to have things marked if they have nuts or were prepared where nuts are used?

The people at Mars are not doing anything but giving people with allergies the chance to enjoy their products just the same as people without allergies. Will it sell more candy bars? Yes. Is anyone getting anything extra? No.

Debbie mattsonsaid,

Put the peanuts back. If you are so worried about making products that are nut-free, start a new line. I have no nut allergies, and I like nuts in my candy. I therefore don’t buy your products anymore since you removed the nuts. They are now BLAHHHHH!

Debbie mattsonsaid,

Put the peanuts back. If you are so worried about making products that are nut-free, start a new line. I have no nut allergies, and I like nuts in my candy. I therefore don’t buy your products anymore since you removed the nuts. They are now BLAHHHHH! This is just one more step to make the world child friendly. This is getting on my nerves. Put the little buggers in glass cases and don’t let them interact with the environment if it is so dangerous.

Debbie mattsonsaid,

Put the peanuts back. If you are so worried about making products that are nut-free, start a new line. I have no nut allergies, and I like nuts in my candy. I therefore don’t buy your products anymore since you removed the nuts. They are now BLAHHHHH! This is just one more step to make the world child friendly. This is getting on my nerves. Put the little buggers in glass cases and don’t let them interact with the environment at all if it is so dangerous.

Debbie mattsonsaid,

Wheeeeew! Now that I got that off my chest …. Now I realize that nut allergies are serious stuff, but don’t change existing products … start up a new product line for allergy sufferers. Wouldn’t that be a better idea. Even though the trend is to be politically correct (that’s an art form in Canada), and market demand has demonstrated the need, let’s be a bit more realistic. There is going to be a backlash from established consumers. You did not do your market research adequately. Better make sure there is no latex or some other substance in the wrappers might cause someone some discomfort. A line that caters to the allergic among us would ensure that the consumer knows what they are getting for sure. Allergies aren’t funny. I am very allergic to cats, but do I see a ban on then anywhere? NO! I just have to snot, snort and struggle for air while the world says “sorry about your luck”!

[…] I love your feedback, I love the way you contribute to the show through your emails, comments on the blog, and your voicemails. It literally makes my heart sing each time you contact me with ideas, suggestions, and “head’s up!” alerts. The discussion on Mars bars (sans peanuts) has reached 23 comments (gee whiz!), for example. […]

Debbie mattsonsaid,

Debbie, I mean the example set for me by the leaders of the human spirit through-out history. There are many worth following in the spirit of cooperation and love and care for one another.

You may stop the name-calling, or your posts will be banned.

Note: all eight of Debbie’s abusive comments that followed this warning have been removed from this thread. Anyone wishing to contribute in a civil manner to this discussion, no matter what your perspective, is welcome. Abuse is not welcome here, nor is harassment.

nick ssaid,

Zoesaid,

I don’t think allergies are funny. Some people just don’t seem to understand how serious they are. It is hard to wrap your head around if you don’t have an allergy. As long as people are talking about it, they will come to understand I think. I don’t have a nut allergy but I know how serious they are. This can kill you. I like the idea of new products like Debbie mentioned because then you know you are not taking any chances for sure. That would be nice.

Mara's Momsaid,

nick ssaid,

PS If any of you live in Ontario and happen to know her, perhaps you could interview her for the show. I think her views would be of interest to a lot of people. Debbie, why don’t you call into the show and share you opinions? 1-888-65-GCAST, CALL-LESLEA, 1111#. Or call me directly at 502.445.6029 and we will set up a time to interview you via Skype.

Mara's Momsaid,

Thank you Leslea, I’m glad to know that there are people around who understand what it is to have a child with an allergy. I’ve been battling the system ever since she was diagnosed at 8 months and it’s been a very hard battle. Schools, parents and even relatives who did not understand how serious this allergy is.
I’m glad that companys are beginning to realize this and how they are helping out by making peanut-nut free products.

Obviously it is profitable for the companies to make peanut-free stuff. If no one was buying them, they’d not bother. I think it’s the least we can do to ask for them in the US, you know? I mean, they’re already making them, how tough could it be to make them available here, as well? It’s just up to our consumer population to ask for them. Supply and demand, you know?

The reason Peanut free products are profitable in Canada is not because of the people who are allergic to nuts. It is because of the schools who ban peanuts and the “may contain peanuts” in Canada.

The going to school market is much bigger, than the allergic people market. Dare and Nestle spent millions to reorganize their factories into nut and no nut factories, so Canadian parents would send their products to school to eat next to Peanut allergy kids., or next room.

Also of note Austraila has also banned nuts but not “may contain” in schools. We have a milk allergy child, and have no “Milk free factory” products., because their are no bans on milk.

I just wanted to add ATENTION PEANUT LOVERS with a peanut free factories you can now buy your favorite chocolate bars made in a all nut factory! Thats right all the nut equipment has been moved or factories built just so you can have your chocolate bars made with nuts made in an all nut factory. Your nut bars are made no where near a “no nut bar” You do however buy your “nut bars” right next to the “no nut” bars for the allergic in the grocery store. Don’t worry they are seperately shipped. While my child who is allergic to milk still can’t have her bar.

Here is another site that Americans and people from other places can buy Canadian food:http://www.canadaonly.ca/canadaonly.ca/market/namerica/index.html Canadaonly.ca Does not have a “Nut free” page so know your lables. Dare Bear Paws available in Canada and this site, are big sellers in Canada they are all nut and transfat free.

Chocolatebars made in Canadian peanut free facilities can be bought from

Anne Mariesaid,

I want to thank everyone for their thoughts and compassion. Food allergies are horrible overall and the burden families and the folks with food allergies are huge, in part b/c food allegies can kill you.
I don’t know if this is the right place to ask but does anyone know of a company/plant that produces tree nuts WITHOUT peanut exposure? For once in 6 years, I’d like to have a pecan pie at Thanksgiving. Eventhough my son probably won’t eat it (in part b/c I’ll be too nervous), I’d like to be able to eat it/serve it without being hypervigilant. Thanks.

Marysaid,

My grandmother had celiac disease therefore she had to avoid flour. She did not demand that flour not be sold because of her allergy. People with food allergies must avoid certain food products not demand the banning of them for everyone else. The peanuts in a mars bar were the best part. Now you’re just selling sugar. If we were to eliminate all foods people are allergic to we would have no food. Unfortunately, allergies are very common; solutions are not to ban the food. Peanuts and peanut butter are relatively cheap forms of protein. Is mars bars new slogan “Let them eat steak”?
Could somebody please respond to this?
Thank you for your time,
Mary,
A mars bar WITH peanuts fan!!!!

Its nice to see companies finally caring about those who have extreme nut allergies. I have lived with this allergies for years and used to hate going out for Halloween as all my candy was given to others. Now – for my own kids, Halloween is a special time. They can eat Nestle and now Mars bars and not have to worry. They can enjoy Halloween and now so can I. (worry free)

Clairesaid,

I have just been informed by my 10 year old son that the Quaker ‘Peanut-Free’ granola bars are now being banned by the school board in which he attends. This is because there is a new allergy in the school, Sunflower Oil. These granola bars contain this oil and are now no longer safe. This is very frustrating. I am trying to provide safe snacks for the school, but will this continue with each new allergy? If you have any new snack suggestions, please post them. Thanks

[…] huge (for this blog) controversy erupted about it. Over 60 comments, some very supportive, some way out of line. One poster was so crazy over the whole thing that she was still sending me bizarre (completely […]